US Supreme Court's abortion pill order spares safe havens
A U.S. Supreme Court order that keeps access to an abortion drug in place for now could be especially welcome in some safe haven states that would have been hit hard by restrictions
Before the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in Friday, access to an abortion pill was in line to become more cumbersome in California, New York and some other states that have positioned themselves as safe havens for those seeking to end their pregnancies.
The order keeps in place federal rules for use of mifepristone, one of the two drugs usually used in combination in medication abortions. The legal saga isn't over: The Supreme Court suggested it will decide the issue by Wednesday.
The high court's position at least pauses a ruling issued last Wednesday by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that would have allowed mifepristone sales to continue, but under rules adopted by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, before a series of changes that relaxed access.
The 5th Circuit ruling, which overturned another recent federal court order halting mifepristone sales nationwide, was set to take effect Saturday. It would have required the drug to be taken in the presence of a physician, ruling out mailing it to patients.
